Lock having magnets incorporated in rotary tumblers

ABSTRACT

The present invention disclosed a lock comprising rotary tumblers each having a magnet and provided rotatably inside a main body of the lock, said tumblers being permitted to rotate to a given position through operation of magnets incorporated in a key, and a locking or unlocking mechanism operating in relation to said rotary tumblers.

United States Patent Inventor Hideyoshi Hisatsune N0. l6-14,3-ch0meMinamil gmatg, i 1 05%, Tokyo, Japan I Appl. No. --m n Filed Oct. 15,1968 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Priority Oct. 19, 1967 Japan 42/6690] 1 LOCKHAVING MAGNETS INCORPORATED IN ROTARY TUMBLERS 7 Claims, 11 DrawingFigs.

US. Cl 70/276, 70/365, 70/413 Int. Cl E05b29/06, E05b 47/00 Field ofSearch 70/276,

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,384,208 9/1945 Stroud70/276 2,393,428 1/l946 Stroud 70/276 3,421,348 1/1969 Hallmann 70/276FOREIGN PATENTS 56,992 7/1967 Germany 70/276 Primary Examiner-Robert L.Wolfe Attorney-B. Edward Shlesinger ABSTRACT: The present inventiondisclosed a lock comprising rotary tumblers each having a magnet andprovided rotatably inside a main body of the lock, said tumblers beingpermitted to rotate to a given position through operation of magnetsincorporated in a key, and a locking or unlocking mechanism operating inrelation to said rotary tumblers.

PATENTEU JAM 1 m2 SHEET 2 0F 4 m? m w w M w x R m w" N W x U MN) WY ANHU w QH bx IIVDITOI KIDIYOSHI EISATSLIE mom PATENTED JAN] 1 I872 sum anr 4 LOCK HAVING MAGNETS INCORPORATED IN ROTARY TUMBLERS The presentinvention relates to a lock having magnets incorporated in rotarytumblers.

In the magnetically operated lock of the conventional type, magnetshaving different polarity are incorporated inside the lock, andunlocking is easily effected by positioning the magnet of the key at theplace corresponding to that of the magnet of the lock. The lock of thistype is not practical due to the defeet that the positions and polarityof the magnets incorporated inside the lock are readily searched fromthe outside, which leads to picking and unloading.

An object of the present invention made in view of the defect set forthhereinabove is to provide a lock of a simple structure comprisingrotatable tumblers having magnets incorporated therein and serving toprevent the polarity of the magnets from being searched from theoutside, and permitting a large number of different fellow keys to beapplied to the identical lock.

In the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments ofa lock madeaccording to the present invention,

FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrations of an operative principle of magnet,exemplified in two modes;

FIGS. 3 through show an embodiment of a lock of the cylinder type, inwhich FIG. 3 is a perspective view of respective components, and FIGS. 4and 5 are longitudinal sectional views of a main body of the lock in thelocked situation and in the unlocked situation, respectively;

FIGS. 6 through 11 are illustrations of a padlock, in which FIG. 6 is alongitudinal sectional view of the padlock, and FIGS. 7 through 9 aresectional views taken along lines VII VII, VIIIVIII, and IXIX of FIG. 6in the unlocked situation, respectively; and

FIGS. 10 and 11 are same sectional views as in FIGS. 7 and 8, but shownin the locked situation.

Description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

For a better understanding of the idea of the present invention, thebasic principle of magnet used in the present invention is illustratedin FIGS. 1 and 2. Two examples are shown, of different arrangements ofthe magnets.

In FIG. 1, A, and A are permanent magnets of disc shape, each bearingthe north pole and the south pole at each semicircular portion androtatably carried by shafts B, and B extending therethrough andsupported by bearings C and C. Said two magnets, in the drawing, arearranged vertically in circumferentially confronting relation with theends of each magnet facing the respective bearings C and C and at adistance permitting the magnetomative forces to be exerted upon eachother.

In this arrangement, the south pole of the upwardly located magnet A,and the north pole of the downwardly located magnet A attract each otherto remain in the situation shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 2, two permanent magnets of a disc shape, each bearing the northpole and the south pole on a semicircular portion and carried by theshafts B, or B,, respectively, are arranged horizontally coaxially withone another facing each other and at a distance permitting magneticforce act between the confronting magnets. Rotary shafts B, and Bextending through the axis of each magnet are coupled at D so as topermit each magnet to rotate independently. In such an arrangement,magnetic force interacts between the opposed poles, the north and southpoles, of the confronting magnets, so that the north and south poles ofthe left-hand side magnet A, attract the opposed poles of other magnet Athereby maintaining the situation of FIG. 2.

If one of magnets A, and A either in FIG. 1 or in FIG. 2, is rotated ina direction shown by the solid arrow mark, the other magnet in eitherdrawing rotates in the direction of the dotted arrow mark. The number ofrotations of the pair of magnets is equal; for example, if one ofmagnets rotates one revolution, the other magnet rotates one revolution.

The arrangement of magnets in the first example (in FIG. I) is adaptedfor a lock of the cylinder type shown in FIGS. 3 through 5, and thearrangement of magnets in the second example is adapted for the padlockshown in FIGS. 6 through 11.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, numeral 1 is a knob projecting inside or outside adoor, which includes therein a cylinder 3 fixedly supported to the knoband a rotatable member 6 turned with a key inserted thereinto to operatea locking system 5.

The cylinder 3 is formed of a nonmagnetic material with a longitudinallyelongated appearance, and has rotary tumblers 7,, 7 7 and 7., connectedat 8 thereto and independently rotatably and at a certain space fromeach other at the inside and in the longitudinal direction. Said rotarytumblers each have permanent magnets 9,, 9 9 and 9., of cylindrical orcolumnar shape, each embedded therein coaxially and with a plane endsurface. Each of the magnets 9,, 9,, 9,, and 9, incorporated in therotary tumblers bears, in the position shown in FIG. 4, the north poleat the left-hand semicircular portion and the south pole at theright-hand semicircular portion, so that magnetic force interactsbetween adjacent magnets to maintain the polar disposition and thearrangement of tumblers, as shown in FIG. 4.

The rotary tumblers have cutout portions or flat portions 7,, 7 7 and 7,formed circumferentially and in the longitudinal direction thereof. Itis noted that each cutout portion is differently positioned in relationto the line 1 (FIG. 3) connecting the north pole and the south pole ofmagnet. In detail, the cutout portion or flat portion 7, is formed at anangle of 0 in relation to the line 1; the cutout portion 7 is formed atan angle of the cutout portion 7;, is formed at an angle of 180; and thecutout portion 7., is formed at an angle of in relation to the line I.Needless to say, the cutout portion may be formed at a desired angle inrelation to the line I other than those exemplified herein.

The rotatable member 6 is rotatably positioned in cylinder 3 againstaxial motion, and is formed of a nonmagnetic material with a columnarshape. The rotatable member 6 has a keyhole 6a provided in alongitudinal direction at the inside thereof, and recesses ordepressions 6,, 6 6;, and 6, each having an arch portion conforming tothe circumference of a tumbler for receiving one-fourth of thecircumference thereof, and provided at a distance similar to thatbetween adjacent tumblers,

.so that of each tumbler fits into a corresponding recess or depressionof the rotatable member 6 in the locked situation, as shown in FIG. 4.In this situation, the rotatable member 6 is checked from rotation inany direction. The rotatable member 6 is provided at one end with aprojection 6b connected with the desired locking system 5.

The key is formed of a nonmagnetic material with a square columnarconfiguration and has permanent magnets 4,, 4 4 and 4., embedded thereinin a longitudinal direction and at a distance similar to that betweenadjacent rotary tumblers, in other words, at a position corresponding toeach of recesses of the rotatable member 6 when the key is inserted.Each of the permanent magnets bears the north pole and the south pole ateach semicircular portion. The polar disposition of each of magnets 4,,4 4 and 4,, depends upon that of the corresponding magnet 9,, 9 9 or 9.,of the tumblers. The action of magnets between the key 4 and the rotarytumblers 7,, 7,, 7;, and 7., will be described below.

Since the rotary tumbler 7, is provided with the cutout portion 7, atthe side of the north pole of the columnar shape of magnet 9,, thepermanent magnet 4, of the key 4 must locate the south pole upwardly, inorder to confront said cutout portion 7, with the recess 6, of therotatable member 6, at the time of unlocking. In such magneticdisposition, the permanent magnet 4, of the key 4 attracts the northpole of the permanent magnet g, of the rotary tumbler 7,, and repels thesouth pole thereof to turn the rotary tumbler 7, anticlockwisely by 90,thereby disengaging the circumference thereof from the recess ordepression 6, of the rotatable member 6, and confronting the cutoutportion 7, therewith. In the similar manner, poles of other magnets 4,,4,, 4, of the key 4 are disposed to take the polar disposition of themagnets of the respective rotary tumblers 7 7 and 7, into account.

Locking or unlocking is effected as follows.

When the key 4 is inserted into the keyhole 6a of the rotatable member 6to locate each of the magnets 4,, 4 4 4,, in place, as shown in FIG. 4(it is assumed that, at the time of insertion of the key, magnets 4,, 44;, and 4,, of the key do not exert magnetic force upon other magnets9,, 9,, 9 and 9,, of the rotary tumblers), the rotary tumbler 7, at theleftmost side turns anticlockwisely by 90 at an angle, as set forth inthe foregoing passage. The rotation of the tumbler 7, causes theadjacent rotary tumbler 7 to rotate clockwisely by 90 at an angle, fromthe position ofFIG. 4. (It is noted that the distance between centers ofmagnets 4, and 9, of the key and the rotary tumbler is smaller than thatbetween axes of magnets 9, and 9 of adjacent rotary tumblers, in orderto increase interaction of magnetic force between magnets 4, and 9,.Relation between other magnets of the key and the rotary tumblers issimilar.) In the rotary tumbler 7 the north pole and the south pole ofmagnet 4 of the key 4 repells and attracts the south pole and the northpole of magnet 9 of the rotary tumbler to cause a further clockwise turnof the rotary tumbler 7 by 90 at an angle, thereby causing the cutoutportion 7 to register with the recess of the rotatable member 6, after aclockwise rotation of 180 from the position of FIG. 4. In the rotarytumbler 7 having the cutout portion 7 at the side of the south pole, thesouth pole of magnet 9 is attracted by the north pole of magnet 4, ofthe key to locate the cutout portion 7;, face to face with the recess 6The rightmostly positioned rotary tumbler 7,, also undergoes interactionof magnetic force to turn clockwisely by 135 at an angle, thereby facingthe cutout portion 7 with the recess 6,, as shown in FIG. 5. It isobvious that circumferential engagement of each tumbler 7,, 7 7,, or 7.,with each of the recesses 6,, 6 6 and 6,, of the rotatable member 6 isreleased at this time to permit rotation of the rotatable member.Accordingly, the rotatable member 6 is allowed free rotation uponturning of the key 4 to operate the locking system 5, whereby the lockis released.

When the key 4 is withdrawn from the keyhole 6a, rotatable tumblers 7,,7 7;,and 7, each undergo the magnetic force of the adjacent permanentmagnets to rotate to fit the circumferential portions thereof intorespective recesses 6,, 6 6,, and 6 of the rotatable member 6, therebyclosing the lock. In this case, the rotary tumblers are notalwaysrestored to their initial positions as shown in FIG. 4.

This is interpreted as follows.

Irrespective of the magnetic force of the magnets of the key exertedupon the respective tumblers, the north pole of the rotary tumbler 7, atthe leftmost side is attracted by the south pole of the adjacent rotarytumbler 7 to turn the rotary tumbler 7, anticlockwisely by 90. In therotary tumbler 7 the south pole of this 9;, is attracted by the northpole of the rotary tumbler 7 to turn the rotary tumbler 7 clockwisely by90. Rotation of the rotary tumbler 7;, causes the rotary tumbler 7,, toturn clockwisely by 45. Thus, all the rotary tumblers are put in stablesituation.

Another embodiment of lock according to the present invention will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 6 through 11 wherein a padlock isshown.

Numeral 10 is the main body of a padlock formed of a nonmagneticmaterial and having a hollow portion 10a, at one side of which rotarytumblers 11,, 11 ll, of cylindrical or columnar shape are independentlyrotatably in the sidewall of the main body in a vertical arrangementwith a desired space between them. Said rotary tumblers 11,, 11 and 11,,have permanent magnets 13,, 13 and 13;, incorporated therein and areprovided with cavities 11,, 11 and 11,, opening to the circumferencethereof. The permanent magnets 13,, 13 and 13 are ofa cylindrical orcolumnar shape and bear the south pole and the north pole, as in theformer example.

Numeral 14 is a rod moving slidably in a vertical direction, whenrespective cavities 11,, 11 and 11 of the rotary tumblers are directedin the same direction, for example downwardly in FIG. 6, and havingextensions 14,, 14 and 14;, formed integral therewith for engaging withor disengaging from these cavities. Said rod 14 is provided in its lowerportion with a slot 15 having a length similar to the sliding distanceof the rod 14 and is connected at its upper end with one end ofaT-shaped connecting lever 19. Numeral 16 is a projection extending fromthe main body and fitted into the slot 15. Said T- shaped connectinglever 19 is pivoted at 20 swingeably to the main body 10 of the lock andengaged at one end with a fitting plate 17 through a slot providedtherein. Said fitting plate 17 is pressed by a spring 21 to engage witha portion 18a of a shackle 18 in the locked situation.

Numeral 22 is a pushbutton provided at the inside of the main body andin a position corresponding to other end of the T-shaped connectinglever 19 and having a spring 23 interposed between the main body 10 andthe pushbutton 22. Numeral 24 is a key, which is inserted into the sideportion of the main body of the lock and formed of a nonmagneticmaterial with a rod shape and having permanent magnets 24,, 24 and 24having a cylindrical or columnar shape similar to that of thecylindrical or columnar magnet of the rotary tumbler and incorporatedtherein in an arrangement corresponding to that of magnets 18,, 18 and18 of rotary tumblers 11,, 11 and 1 1 as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 shows a polar disposition of magnets 13,, 13 and 13;, of therotary tumblers in the locked situation. The magnet of each rotarytumbler bears the north pole upwardly and the south pole downwardly, sothat magnets of adjacent rotary tumblers may repel and attract eachother. Said rotary tumblers 11,, 11 and 11 have a part of theircircumferential portions contacting with extensions 14,, 14 and 14,,ofthe rod 14, with cavities l 1,, 11 and 11 located at a differentposition, so that the rod 14 is checked from its upward motion tomaintain the locked situation.

The lock is released by turning rotary tumblers 11,, 11 and 11,, toposition cavities 11,, 11 and 11,, downwardly, so that the rod can moveupwardly to fit the respective extensions into these cavities. Indetail, it is necessary to rotate the uppermost rotary tumbler 11,anticlockwisely by the in termediately positioned rotary tumbler 11clockwisely by 90 and the lowermost rotary tumbler 11 anticlockwisely by45, respectively. Such rotation of the respective rotary tumblers 11,,11 and 11 is effected by the key 24 having magnets 24,, 24 and 24 whosepolar disposition is shown in FIG. 9. For example, between magnet 13, ofthe rotary tumbler 11,, of which the north pole and the south pole arelocated upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and magnet 24, of the key24 with the south pole at the left-hand side and the north pole at theright-hand side, magnet 13, of the rotary tumbler 11, is, at its northand south poles, subject to repelling and attracting of the south poleand the north pole of magnet 24, to rotate the rotary tumbler 11,anticlockwisely by 90 at an angle, thereby locating the cavity 11, ofsaid rotary tumbler 11, downwardly. Similarly, other rotary tumblers 11and 11 are turned clockwisely or anticlockwisely to position therespective cavities 1 1 1 1 downwardly.

In such a situation of the rotary tumblers 11,, 11 and 11, with cavities11,, 11 and 11, positioned downwardly, as shown in FIG. 7, thepushbutton is pressed inwardly to move the connecting lever 19 and therod 14 in the direction of the arrow. The movement of the connectinglever 19 and the rod 14 causes the fitting plate 17 to move in thedirection of the arrow to disengage the tapered portion from the portion18a of the shackle 18, whereby the shackle 18 is released and the lockis opened.

When the key 24 is removed to lock again, the north pole of magnet 13,,of the lowermost rotary tumbler 11;, and the south pole of magnet 13 ofthe intermediately positioned rotary tumbler 11 attract each other toturn rotary tumblers l1, and 11 clockwisely and anticlockwisely,respectively. Resultantly, magnet 13, of the uppermost rotary tumbler11, is also attracted to turn the rotary tumbler ll, clockwisely by 90,whereby two poles of the magnet of each rotary tumbler are restored tothe disposition as shown in FIG. 11, whereby the lock is closed.

In order to interact effectively magnetsof the key and rotary tumblers,the distance between magnet of the rotary tumbler and that of the keymust be smaller than that between adjacent two tumblers, as in theformer embodiment.

With the structure of the lock of the present invention as disclosedhereinabove, it is impossible to search for the arrangement and polarityof magnets incorporated inside a lock. This will be understood moreclearly from the following explanation.

For example, in the lock of the cylinder type as shown in FIG. 4, if onetries to search for, with a magnet, the pole of the magnet near thecutout portion 7, of the rotary tumbler 7,, magnet 9 of the rotarytumbler 7 will exert magnetic force upon both the north pole and thesouth pole of the magnet used for spying, due to rotation of the rotarytumbler 7,, and the search fails. Safety is more completely assured byincreasing the number of rotary tumblers. In the second embodiment, itis also impossible to search for the polarity of the magnets of therotary tumblers, in order to locate the cavity downwardly, that is, atthe unlocked position, for the same reason.

The lock of the present invention provides many advantages and theprobability of picking a lock is completely eliminated since it isimpossible to search for the polarity of the magnets, which has beenoften encountered in locks of the type incorporating magnets; a largenumber of different mating keys are applicable, since the rotationalrange of the rotary tumblers is determined in relation to the locking orunlocking mechanism; and the structure is simple.

I claim:

1. A magnetic lock comprising a rotatable member made of nonmagneticmaterial and having a plurality of recesses spaced from one anotherlongitudinally of its axis,

a plurality of rotary tumblers engageable, respectively, in

said recess to prevent movement of said member,

each tumbler being slabbed off around a portion of its periphery sothat, when it is rotated to a position where said slabbed off portionregisters with the recess associated with the tumbler, the tumbler isdisengaged from said associated recess, cylindrical magnet rotatablymounted in each tumbler, each magnet having opposite polar portionsextending, respectively, part way around its periphery, and a keyinsertable in a hole in said member, said key having a plurality ofmagnets rotatably mounted therein and spaced longitudinally of the keyfor cooperation with the magnets mounted in said tumblers.

2. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnets in saidkey have the same spacing as the recesses in said member, whereby theyregister with the magnets in said tumbler when said key is in said hole.

3. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of themagnets in the tumblers are uniformly spaced from one another and theaxes of the magnets in the key are uniformly spaced from one another butthe distances between the axes of the magnets in the key and the magnetsin the rotary tumblers is less than the distances between the axes ofadjacent tumblers.

4. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnets in thetumblers have identical polar orientation about their respective axesbut the magnets in the key have different polar orientations about theirrespective axes.

5. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 4, wherein the slabs on thetumblers are differently oriented relative to one another.

6. A magnetic lock, comprising a first member; a second member movablewith reference to said first member to and from a starting position,said members having adjacent surfaces and one of said surfaces beingprovided with a first socket; a magnetic locking element turnable insaid first socket between at least one first position and at least onesecond position in which it respectively permits and prevents movementof said second member from starting position, said locking elementnormally assuming said second position and the other of said surfaceshaving a second socket which receives a portion of said locking elementin said starting position of said second member while said lockingelement assumes said second position; and a key adapted to be applied toone of said members in at least one predetermined position and havingmagnet means arranged to effect angular displacement of said lockingelement to said first position in said predetermined position of thekey.

7. A magnetic lock as defined in claim 6, wherein said first member is acylinder and said second member is a plug rotatable in said cylinder toand from said starting position thereof, said one surface being theperipheral surface of said plug and said first socket extending radiallyinwardly from said peripheral surface.

1. A magnetic lock comprising a rotatable member made of nonmagneticmaterial and having a plurality of recesses spaced from one anotherlongitudinally of its axis, a plurality of rotary tumblers engageable,respectively, in said recess to prevent movement of said member, eachtumbler being slabbed off around a portion of its periphery so that,when it is rotated to a position where said slabbed off portionregisters with the recess associated with the tumbler, the tumbler isdisengaged from said associated recess, a cylindrical magnet rotatablymounted in each tumbler, each magnet having opposite polar portionsextending, respectively, part way around its periphery, and a keyinsertable in a hole in said member, said key having a plurality ofmagnets rotatably mounted therein and spaced longitudinally of the keyfor cooperation with the magnets mounted in said tumblers.
 2. A magneticlock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnets in said key have thesame spacing as the recesses in said member, whereby they register withthe magnets in said tumbler when said key is in said hole.
 3. A magneticlock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of the magnets in thetumblers are uniformly spaced from one another and the axes of themagnets in the key are uniformly spaced from one another but thedistances between the axes of the magnets in the key and the magnets inthe rotary tumblers is less than the distances between the axes ofadjacent tumblers.
 4. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein themagnets in the tumblers have identical polar orientation about theirrespective axes but the magnets in the key have different polarorientations about their respective axes.
 5. A magnetic lock as claimedin claim 4, wherein the slabs on the tumblers are differently orientedrelative to one another.
 6. A magnetic lock, comprising a first member;a second member movable with reference to said first member to and froma starting position, said members having adjacent surfaces and one ofsaid surfaces being provided with a first socket; a magnetic lockingelement turnable in said first socket between at least one firstposition and at least one second position in which it respectivelypermits and prevents movement of said second member from startingposition, said locking element normally assuming said second positionand the other of said surfaces having a second socket which receives aportion of sAid locking element in said starting position of said secondmember while said locking element assumes said second position; and akey adapted to be applied to one of said members in at least onepredetermined position and having magnet means arranged to effectangular displacement of said locking element to said first position insaid predetermined position of the key.
 7. A magnetic lock as defined inclaim 6, wherein said first member is a cylinder and said second memberis a plug rotatable in said cylinder to and from said starting positionthereof, said one surface being the peripheral surface of said plug andsaid first socket extending radially inwardly from said peripheralsurface.